Well Joe was poor last week ......... but he was clearly better than Stacey in the Final. (The nearest I get to Dance Expertise is I used to see quite a bit of dance training when I was administrator for an MA in Choreography, but they were more Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp.)
I would have said Ashley's advantage had next to NOTHING to do with dance experience. She was far the best ATHLETE. She proved it in lifts. She was fitter, stronger and far more gymnastic. Now if that all came from the non-ballroom dancing she had done in the past then I agree she shouldn't have been there ......... but she finished every dance as strong as she started, neither Stacey, nor Joe could come near that.
But if Stacey or Joe get to win for being complete novices at the start, then surely the cat from Red Dwarf should have won for giving all the opposition 25 years except for Charles Venn ............ and quick improvement would be so much harder for them? Stacey was the girl next door and Joe was the boy. If Faye hadn't looked so elegant throughout she might have played the role too ...... but she always looked as though she'd materialised from Hollywood. I thought Joe would prove more popular than Stacey, but I was wrong. Both of them realised very early it was a popularity contest and played on that throughout - down to the costumes they wore. They've got clever agents.
I liked Faye's dad. He clearly thinks the sun shines out of her and loves her to bits. I'm an old sentimentalist but I'd have liked to have seen his face if she'd won. Stacey winning is fine, but if an alien asked me to explain what Strictly is a contest of, then I'd have to pass.
I would have said Ashley's advantage had next to NOTHING to do with dance experience. She was far the best ATHLETE. She proved it in lifts. She was fitter, stronger and far more gymnastic. Now if that all came from the non-ballroom dancing she had done in the past then I agree she shouldn't have been there ......... but she finished every dance as strong as she started, neither Stacey, nor Joe could come near that.
But if Stacey or Joe get to win for being complete novices at the start, then surely the cat from Red Dwarf should have won for giving all the opposition 25 years except for Charles Venn ............ and quick improvement would be so much harder for them? Stacey was the girl next door and Joe was the boy. If Faye hadn't looked so elegant throughout she might have played the role too ...... but she always looked as though she'd materialised from Hollywood. I thought Joe would prove more popular than Stacey, but I was wrong. Both of them realised very early it was a popularity contest and played on that throughout - down to the costumes they wore. They've got clever agents.
I liked Faye's dad. He clearly thinks the sun shines out of her and loves her to bits. I'm an old sentimentalist but I'd have liked to have seen his face if she'd won. Stacey winning is fine, but if an alien asked me to explain what Strictly is a contest of, then I'd have to pass.